RuPaul's DragCon UK was an expo of drag culture held 18-19 January 2020 at the Olympia London in West Kensington, London, England. It was based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA, the original event started in 2015 billed as a “convention that celebrates ‘the art of drag, queer culture and self-expression for all’”, which debuted in 2015, and RuPaul's DragCon NYC, which started in 2017. All three are based on the popular television series RuPaul's Drag Race which has popularized drag queens in the mainstream culture starting in 2009. The same company of all the properties, World of Wonder, has worked with RuPaul to also produce the international Werq the World tour, and RuPaul's Drag Race Live! which features queens from the series. At DragCon attendees could meet the artists and drag queens, take in panel discussions, main stage performances, and buy related merchandise from the queens and industry-related products like drag, make-up, and wigs. The event also features a Kids Zone. Performers and presenters includeD series namesake RuPaul, co-judge Michele Visage, and dozens of Drag Race queens. Instinct reported, DragCon UK has “all the signature events of DragCon, from panels to meet and greets to main stage performances.” Educational panels include “discussions about LGBTQ+ rights, fashion, and the history of drag”. IndieWire noted that DragCon was similar to the annual Burning Manart festival in that attendees exhibit radical self-expression, the culture is participatory and inclusive, and what is presented is ephemeral.
Background
RuPaul’s DragCon UK is the third DragCon, and is based on the successful RuPaul's DragCon LA, the original event started in 2015, and RuPaul's DragCon NYC, which started in 2017. The two U.S. DragCons the world’s largest drag culture events, with over 100,000 attendees. All three are based on the popular television series RuPaul's Drag Race which has popularized drag queens in the mainstream culture since 2009. The same company of all the properties, World of Wonder, has worked with RuPaul to also produce the international Werq the World tour, and RuPaul's Drag Race Live! which features queens from the series. At DragCon attendees can meet the artists and drag queens, take in panel discussions, main stage performances, and buy related merchandise from the queens and industry-related products like drag, make-up, and wigs. The event also featured a Kids Zone. DragCon UK followed on the October 2019 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK”, which is the latest international version of the show. DragCon UK is the third version of DragCon, the first was DragCon LA which has occurred annually for five years as of 2019. World of Wonder co-founder Randy Barbato said of the UK expansions, “It’s about the energy, it’s about the positive attitude towards life, and I think more than anything else that’s what we want this to be about... That’s what we want people to take from this and spread it like a contagion all over the world. It’s not that we’re the ground zero of resistance, we’re sort of the ground zero of the future and of what our world can be.” DragCon UK is not this first drag convention in the city, or even at the same venue. The Olympia London has hosted the dragcon DragWorld UK for three years with queens from Drag Race along with UK performers and companies. In 2019, the two-day event had more than 10,000 attendees. As of August 2019, DragWorld is Europe’s biggest drag event.
History
RuPaul’s DragCon UK was announced at RuPaul's DragCon NYC 8 September 2019 by RuPaul’s longtime friend, and Drag Race co-judge Michelle Visage from the main stage while introducing the queens of first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The show started filming in March 2019, and aired in October the same year. Instinct reported, DragCon UK “will have all the signature events of DragCon, from panels to meet and greets to main stage performances.”
2020 premiere
The premiere of RuPaul’s DragCon UK took place 18-19 January 2020 at the Olympia London in West Kensington, London, England. DragCon UK tickets ranged from £40 - £200.
Presenters and performers
reported, “Drag Race's Emmy-winning host RuPaul will DJ on the Main Stage on both Saturday and Sunday.” Drag Race co-host and longtime friend Michelle Visage, who was nationally seen on the reality show Strictly Come Dancing earlier in 2019, was omitted from that project’s annual tour because she was scheduled for DragCon on that tour’s opening weekend. Other confirmed presenters and performers:
*plus the Brit Pit Crew, the male escorts of the show
Events
On Sunday World of Wonder announced two docuseries shows to be aired on WOW Presents Plus, their international streaming service. The two include: God Shave the Queens!, a series following RuPaul’s Drag Race UK cast with Alyssa Edwards on a six-stop tour through the U.K.; and a yet-to-be titled Trinity Taylor pageant project following her new company, Florida Entertainer of the Year Preliminary Pageant, as contestants vie to become nationally known at the finals for National Entertainer of the Year.
RuPaul's Drag Race co-judge and RuPaul’s best friend, Michelle Visage, who has a child in the cosplay community, shared that DragCons are a safe space for the all-ages and LGBTQ communities. Possibly the only one many of the attendees have ever experienced, where being different and LGBTQ is celebrated. Visage stated, In addition to the Kids Zone, DragCon has Drag Queen Story Hours and a Kids Fashion Show. DragCon UK had many children attendees including those who dressed in drag.
